Project Safe Delivery

Combating mail theft and violent crimes targeting Postal Service employees is of the highest priority for the Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service. As the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, the Postal Inspection Service™ leads the organization’s efforts to protect all Postal Service™ employees, and efforts to ensure the secure delivery of mail to the American public.

ARRESTS NATIONWIDE (May 12, 2023 - March 2024)

MAIL THEFT — 1,025
ROBBERIES — 213

Project Safe Delivery was launched in May 2023 to address a surge in mail theft and related violent crimes against letter carriers.

A joint initiative between the Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service, Project Safe Delivery employs a holistic approach to this end. It seeks to protect postal employees and the mailstream, prevent incidents through education and awareness, and enforce the laws that protect our nation’s mailstream.

FULL MAIL THEFT STRATEGY

  • PROTECT the mailstream and employees

    • Installing high security mail collection boxes;
    • Installing electronic locking mechanisms;
    • Increased arrow key accountability reviews; and
    • Conducting security reviews of facilities.

  • PREVENT incidents through education and awareness

    • Making Public Service Announcements;
    • Providing presentations on personal safety to Postal Service employees;
    • Providing presentation on robberies and mail theft to local law enforcement partners; and
    • Increasing monetary rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a perpetrator of postal crime through our updated Reward Program.

  • ENFORCE the laws that protect the nation's mailstream

    • Law Enforcement Surge activities, sending national assets to heavily impacted areas;
    • Conducting investigative actions such as interviews, surveillance operations; and
    • Coordinating with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.

Project Safe Delivery Highlights

The Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting all Postal Service employees, securing the mail, and defending the Postal Service infrastructure from criminal activity.

Project Safe Delivery

MARYLAND MAN SENTENCED TO 35 YEARS FOR ARMED ROBBERY OF LETTER CARRIER

On February 16, 2024, Teshan D. Jordan, 27, of Temple Hills, MD, was sentenced to 35 years after being convicted by a jury for armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, use of firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and theft. “Our mission is clear: safeguarding the integrity of the postal system and protecting Postal Service employees is paramount,” said Ajay Lall, acting inspector in charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “postal inspectors will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to pursue individuals who pose a threat to Postal Service employees and seek to exploit the nation’s mail system for their criminal activities.”

Read Press Release

Alabama Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison for Robbing a Mail Carrier at Gunpoint

On February 27, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 38-year-old Jermain Tyrone Holmes, from Dothan, Alabama, to 130 months in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. The sentence followed his conviction for robbery of a postal worker. In addition, the judge ordered that Holmes serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. “Postal inspectors’ duties include protecting Postal Service employees and investigating violent crimes that are committed against them,” said Scott Fix, inspector in charge for the Houston Division. “The sentence handed down to Jermain Holmes for the robbery of our letter carrier should serve as a reminder we will aggressively investigate to find those responsible and bring them to justice.”

Read DOJ Press Release

Man sentenced to three years in federal mail theft case

A 27-year-old man, Johny Mixayboua, was sentenced to over three years in prison for multiple instances of mail theft affecting hundreds of residents in Western Washington. He was found guilty of stealing mail, government property, and engaging in illegal transactions using access devices, along with possessing an unregistered firearm.

Read Press Release

ENHANCE DELIVERY SECURITY

The Postal Inspection Service will work with the Postal Service to develop and deploy advanced technologies to secure and protect the Postal Service network and its employees. The Postal Inspection Service will also work with the Postal Service to identify and implement other security enhancements, including process improvements and collection box placement modifications.

ADVANCE INTELLIGENCE LED INVESTIGATIONS

Intelligence is an indispensable tool for addressing mail theft and associated financial and violent crimes. The Postal Inspection Service will leverage internal and external data sources and the latest technologies to strategically focus investigations, gain investigative insights, and ultimately bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice. The Postal Inspection Service will accomplish this in collaboration with the Postal Service and external partners, including but not limited to local, state, federal and private-sector partners.

DEPLOY COMMUNICATIONS AND INCREASE PREVENTION AWARENESS

Communicating internally with Postal Service employees and externally with the American public about mail theft, and associated financial and violent crimes is key to raising awareness about these issues and to communicate steps that both Postal Service employees and the public can take to protect themselves. This also brings transparency to the actions that the Postal Inspection Service and Postal Service are taking in response to these issues, including security enhancements and investigative successes.

INVEST IN TOOLS, TECHNOLOGY AND DATA ANALYTICS

The continuous development and application of data analytics to mail theft, and associated financial and violent crimes against Postal Service employees, is critical to identifying real-time emerging trends associated with these crimes, gathering investigative intelligence, and allocating and deploying investigative resources. To accomplish this, the Postal Inspection Service will identify relevant mail theft-related data sources, organize the data into an efficient environment where applied analytics may be performed, and leverage analytics personnel to apply data analytics techniques and perform continuous data analysis.

DEPLOY ADVANCED TRAINING

Expanding the cadre of Postal Inspection Service personnel who have advanced training in investigations involving mail theft and financial, cyber and violent crimes is critical to ensuring Postal Inspection Service personnel are highly trained and competent to investigate, prevent, and otherwise address the challenges posed by mail theft and associated financial and violent crimes.

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Report a Crime

If you have, or know someone who’s been the victim of mail theft, alert Postal Inspectors. If you or someone you know has been the victim of mail theft, alert postal inspectors.

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